Come Emmanuel

Come Emmanuel

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

O come, Adonai, Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.”

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, John Mason Neale

“Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.”

Isaiah 55:6-7:, NKJV

In this present dispensation of grace it is often easy for us to lose sight of the heart and will of God.

The message often proclaimed from the pulpits of seeker-friendly churches is this: “Jesus loves you just as you are. Don’t be religious church. Grace is what saves us!”

This is only a half truth.

Jesus loves you – but He loves you so much that He offers you the chance to change. A chance for a better life.

The grace of God – the love of God, undeserved – goes hand in hand with the mercy of God: God refraining from pouring out the wrath that we DO deserve.

Shall we then cheapen this great gift of grace by staying as we are?

It seems to me that the modern believer wants the benefits of the Kingdom – deliverance, freedom, healing, peace, prosperity – but what we really need is the Rule and Reign of God.

The love of God is free and without restriction – but relationships have boundaries. Covenants, like contracts, have conditions and clauses.

We are saved by grace, but this love of God poured out is only the beginning.

Jesus came preaching repentance.

This call for repentance is a call to action. Yes, we are saved through faith by grace – but grace without works is dead.

Much of the Psalms and the Prophets is a heartfelt cry for repentance and salvation – and not just individual repentance and restoration – but that of the nation. For us as Christians, having strongholds of the faith around the world, the call is not for the individual nor the nation – but for the nations! The whole world.

Crying out on behalf of the world, come, o come, Emmanuel!

It is time for Christian brothers and sisters to heed this call to action and take up the work of prayer and evangelism.

The church, as a Body and as a movement – as an institution – has failed. We have strayed from the Truth. We have become seeker friendly rather than seeking the lost.

Brothers! Sisters! Let us take up the work of prayer – taking no rest and giving God no rest. Let us pray until we see the light of His salvation breaking through!

Let us endure for our loved ones. Let us endure upon our knees.

And as we pray, let us do so with the knowledge that He inclines His ear to us. He hears us.

Let us pray and seek the Lord while He might be found and urge others to do the same.

Let us pray for and with our loved ones at every opportunity that presents itself.

Let us pray also for ourselves – the Body – that we may be faithful witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. That He might give us the strength to resist scandal and controversy, to avoid falling into the temptation of false doctrine, and that we might incline our ears to His Holy Spirit working in our lives, through our lives and in the lives of those around us.

Let us, as the Body and as the Bride cry out to our Beloved: Come, o come, Emmanuel!

Let us pray for His Rule and Reign to be established in our churches, in our schools and in our governments yet again – that He might impart to us His righteousness, as He did at Mount Sinai. Let our prayer be for His Dominion, His Authority and His Kingdom to come in our lives. For His face to shine upon us – so that He might have preeminence – the highest praise and the highest place in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, as I take up the work of prayer, give me the words to pray for my loved ones, for my community and for my country. Wherever I might be, Lord, let me be a stronghold of the Faith. Guide me in my quiet time, equip in my solitude so that I might be a faithful witness of Your Kingdom come. Come, o come, Emmanuel – come and establish Your throne in our midst – and let us see revival, reformation and restoration in our lives and the lives of those around us. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

I Believe: What Do You Believe?

I Believe: What Do You Believe?

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“I believe there is one salvation
One doorway that leads to life
One redemption, one confession
I believe in the name of Jesus Christ,”

I Believe, Phil Wickham

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Acts 2:42, NIV

I grew up in well established churches with properly and clearly expressed statements of faith.

These churches focused on equipping their congregants theologically.

Being in worship ministry, over the years, I have found myself all over the place. From reformed churches to charismatic churches and all the grey areas in between.

In studying the New Testament it becomes clear to me that there was an established and approved understanding of the Gospel – even if it was perhaps haphazardly and informally compiled – which we can refer to as the Apostles’ teaching. In the centuries that followed the church, through various councils and committees, would attempt to organise this into more formal categories and confessions.

One of the biggest pushbacks I have experienced, especially in the charismatic movement, is the idea that an emphasis on good theology is pharisaical and puts unnecessary restrictions upon the working of the Holy Spirit and the life of the believer.

It seems to me that many believers would rather ‘live by the spirit’ – but by which spirit?

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus did not come to do away with the law and the prophets, but to fulfil it. Living by the Spirit of God leads to a deeper understanding, greater appreciation and better application of the Law and the Prophets in our own faith journey.

One of the things most disconcerting about those involved in certain ‘moves of God’ is the idea that there is no set confession or statement of belief. One of the most troubling revelations is the fact that even leaders in the Body – preachers and teachers – have little or even no understanding of even basic concepts like the Godhead, the divinity of Jesus and the personage of the Holy Spirit and are tossed to and fro by every new wind of ‘revelation’.

And it is because of a lack of proper theological exposition and meditation in the church.

The legendary physicist Richard Feynman is quoted as saying that if you can’t explain an idea to an 8 year old, chances are you don’t understand it yourself.

C.S. Lewis said: “If you cannot translate your own thoughts into uneducated language, then your thoughts are confused. The power to translate is the test of having understood one’s own meaning.”

And that is exactly what the creeds and confessions of old attempted to do: to take vast amounts of theological exposition and condense it into easy to read, easy to understand – almost viral – statements of what we as Christians believe.

The fact is this – the Bible is actually really easy to understand. So is theology.

And yes, good theology can be a great source of unity in the church but it is also divisive. It is divisive because it makes clear the separation between the sheep and the goats, the wheat and the chaff, of our own minds.

It is easy for the Gospel and our understanding of spiritual things to become complicated and tangled up like a pair of earphones in a junk-drawer – but with just a little effort on our side we can keep it simple, clear and concise.

I want to challenge you today to clarify your own understanding of your faith.

What is your confession?

What do you believe?

And would you be able to translate even the more complex aspects of your faith into language that an 8 year old could understand?

A good place to start is by looking at the creeds and confessions of those who have come before. As a starting point I would recommend that you take a look at the Nicene Creed. Read it. Memorise it if possible. Commit it to mind and take it to heart.

If you are up to a challenge I would urge you to start a journal and put your thoughts down on paper – this way you will have a record of your own growth in understanding, and hopefully a map you can use to explain and describe the landscape of your faith to those in your personal mission field.

This is the first step in embracing proper, healthy theology in the church. This is the first step towards growing in your own understanding of the faith (the application of the Bible as the source of what we believe) and in helping others grow as well.

Good theology does not put restrictions on the life of the believer, but rather creates the space in which to grow.

These statements guard the purity of our faith. They guard our minds and hearts by establishing us in truth and keeping us away from controversy.

What do you believe?

And how will you share these simple, unadulterated truths with others?

Prayer: Lord, help me to have a clearer vision of what I believe. As I read Your Word, as I listen to the preaching of Your Word, and as I strive to share and live Your Word – help me to stay true to Your Word. Give me understanding. Help me express truth boldly and concisely. Help me bring across the Gospel of Your Kingdom clearly. Let me never wander or stray, but let me stay faithful to Your Word in everything I do and say. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Behold: The Light of the World

Behold: The Light of the World

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

Behold the King has come, divinity incarnate
Creator of the world, breathing our air
Behold what light has come, and the dark cannot contain it
The Savior of the world is finally here”

Behold, Travis Cottrell

“4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

John 1:4-5, NKJV

There is a famous C.S. Lewis quote where he compares the rising of the sun to Christianity.

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

The Psalmist says: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to guide my path…” (Psalm 119:105:)

Jesus, as the Word made Flesh, is the Light of the World (John 1, Isaiah 42:6) – comes to illuminate – to demonstrate The Way to us as believers. To SHOW us The Way as a lamp unto our feet and a light to guide our path.

John says the following: “In Him was life and this life was the light of men. The darkness could not comprehend it.”

‘Comprehend’ here, in the New King James version, is translated in many other translations as ‘overcome’, ‘overwhelm’, ‘overpower’ and some other variations – which seems to be a more accurate translation of the Greek word ‘katalambanó’.

Yes, the darkness – the ignorance and arrogance of the world – could not understand the light that was in Christ, but it also could not overpower and overwhelm it.

This is important for us as believers in this current age to understand.

Where many are being brainwashed by the culture of our day – where even basic definitions such as ‘man’ or ‘woman’ – basic biological, scientific terms – are being blurred by wilful ignorance, we need to stand up for truth.

Where definitions of ‘justice’ are being twisted, where ‘good’ and ‘evil’ have become nothing more than arbitrary grey areas – we need to understand that truth is not subjective. Truth is found in Christ.

As Christians it is easy for us who know the Truth to get discouraged by the state of affairs around us.

I look at the younger generations and my heart breaks. There is so much confusion…

There are often talks about taking Christianity out of schools, keeping it away from and out of Government with a ten-foot pole and barring it from the workplace.

In these trying times we must stand strong and know that those who came before us in the faith faced

St. Patrick, in the spirit of the Gospel of John, draws the following comparison between Jesus and the sun:

“The sun which we see rising for us each day at his command, that sun will never reign nor will its splendour continue forever; and all those who adore that sun will come to a bad, miserable penalty. We, however, believe in and adore the true sun, that is, Christ, who will never perish.” (Conf., 60)

The World does not ‘recognize’, ‘comprehend’ or ‘understand’ the Light that is in Jesus, turning instead to the sun of their own intellect. This however will lead them, as Patrick said, to a bad and miserable penalty as they find even their truth being folded up and perishing in the greater scheme of eternity.

We however, believe in and adore the True Sun, the Risen Son, Jesus Christ – the one who will never perish – and most importantly will never be overwhelmed by the shadows cast by an inferior source.

So, keep true to the faith – even when darkness tries to overwhelm. Even when the arrogance and ignorance of this world tries to silence us. We will stay true to Jesus and The Way He came to demonstrate.

Let us endeavour to keep our lights shining – let the moon of our lives reflect the light from the Sun of His Righteousness – the confusion of this world will eventually pass away, but in Him we have our eternal reward.

Prayer: Lord, help me today to know where the line is drawn and to not cross it – let there be no compromise in my life when it comes to the truth. I am called to be in the world, but not like it. If I have, in my thinking or believing strayed from Your path, right my course dear Lord. And let me hold fast to the promises of Your Word, let me hold fast to the Truth, even when a multitude of voices around me sow confusion. Let me find refuge in You and what You have ordained. Jesus, be my center. Be the light that guides my path so that I might have life eternal with You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

This is Our God: Those Walls Called Sin And Shame

This is Our God: Those Walls Called Sin And Shame

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Remember those walls that we called sin and shame?
They were like prisons that we couldn’t escape
But He came, and He died, and He rose
Those walls are rubble now”

This is our God, Phil Wickham

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners…”

Isaiah 61:1, NIV

Good news.

Much of the Bible is about the good news of the Kingdom come.

This is the Gospel. That Jesus came to give hope to the hopeless, show the Father to the orphan, bind up the broken hearted, proclaim freedom for the captives and our release from the darkness of our sin and shame.

Shame is probably one of the most vicious, heaviest chains we carry.

Shame is the very definition of a vicious cycle. Not only is it rooted in sin – both sins committed by and against us – but it also inevitably becomes the root of further sin as we dig the hole in our hearts deeper.

I need you to realize today that you can be a model Christian and live a near perfect life, especially in the eyes of others, and yet be struggling with some aspect of your ‘private life’. You can be a good, Jesus-loving, God-fearing Christian, and still have a room in your heart that you have not yet surrendered to Christ.

It took me years to finally let go of the shame of my addiction, and it might not be easy for you either – but there is hope. As you build your prayer life… As you read about Jesus… As you allow the Holy Spirit to breathe life into the text of the Bible and let the Word come alive in you… As you surrender that room in your heart to God and let Him in you will find that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, but instead a superior hope, a peace that surpasses understanding and a joy unspeakable and full of glory.

The solution to every sin-problem and shame-condition is the unconditional and absolute love of God found in Jesus Christ.

I want to urge you to let Jesus into that area of your life where you are experiencing shame and hurt. Whether that shame was caused through something you did or something that was done to you – there is healing in Jesus.

Don’t let shame force you to live a life of fear, insecurity and hopelessness.

There is hope. There is Jesus.

You are loved. You are His. He loves you and He will never stop, no matter what!

Prayer: Lord, help me today to see the areas of my life where shame has a hold of me. Help me see the vicious cycles in my life for what they are. Where they might feel never-ending, where it might feel like I am perpetually going in circles, help me see that You are the Way, the Truth and the Life. You are my way out of this slow of despondency. You are my way out of the cycle of shame. Help me, Lord, to see that I am not who my shame says I am, but rather who You say I am. I am loved. I am Yours. Help me recognize the areas of my life where I need to repent. Come into my heart Lord and rearrange my furniture. Come and show me what I need to keep doing and what it is I need to stop doing so that You may be glorified in my life. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Praise: Sometimes It’s A Sacrifice

Praise: Sometimes It’s A Sacrifice

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

I’ll praise when outnumbered
Praise when surrounded
‘Cause praise is the water
My enemies drown in”

Praise, Elevation Worship

“15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Hebrews 13:15-16: NIV

It used to be, in the Old Testament, that a sacrifice would inevitably cost something its life.

The first thing that comes to mind is the two Shofars sitting in my living room. I have one made from a Sabel horn, and another, made by a dear friend who has since passed on to be with the Lord, made from the horn of a seemingly large Kudu.

These are instruments of praise and warfare.

In Ancient times these horns would serve to sound a warning or signal an attack.

As a ritual instrument the Hebrew peoples used it to announce the New Moon, sound the Sabbath and celebrate the anointing of a king, It was a call to worship and rejoicing.

At Rosh Hashana every year the Shofar is sounded to call the Jewish people to spiritual reawakening and revival.

It is a powerful instrument with some very powerful connotations attached to it.

At the Sinai Revelation in Exodus 19 we read that the coming of the Lord was accompanied by thunder, lightning, fire and smoke – but also the loud blast of a trumpet that made the people tremble.

The Psalmist writes that God is enthroned, triumphantly, amidst the loud shouts of His people and the blasting of the trumpets. (Psalm 47).

And the trumpet – made from the horn of a ram – is the product of sacrifice.

A life was given for the worship to sound.

The Sacrifice of Jesus upon the Cross, much like the blowing of the shofar, is a call to worship.

We are called to worship Christ, not just by paying lip service, but by living a life worthy of the one He gave.

We are called to follow in kind by laying our lives down upon the altar of His love.

One of the definitions of sacrifice is to give up something valued for other considerations. We are called to give up the things we value and value Him above all else – give what He considers valuable priority in our lives.

This is what true worship is – it’s not a song or a reading on a Sunday morning – it goes far beyond. It is a lifestyle.

We have often made very arbitrary distinctions between praise and worship – but in a lot of cases they are the exact same thing. Praise is an expression of admiration, reverence, respect and gratitude towards another.

When the Shofar sounds it often sounds like crying or wailing.

Even in our darkest days we are called to worship. God is worthy of our praise and our adoration no matter what it is we are going through. And often this is where praise is a sacrifice.

When we worship God in our crying and our wailing – when in sorrow we turn to song instead of despondency.

We are often surrounded by situations and circumstances. We often feel outnumbered – overwhelmed – but in all these things, if we can adopt a posture of praise, we will see Jesus come in our situation.

I have suffered from clinical depression for a very long time, and on my bad days – when I don’t even feel like getting out of bed – the best thing I can do is grab my guitar and sing my love to the Lord. The best thing I can do is get up and go and love my neighbour – as the author of Hebrews says – to do good and share with others.

And when we do this, when we carry the light of our salvation out to others, we see the light of Christ shine all the brighter in our own lives.

The depression lifts. The darkness dissipates.

And this often feels like a sacrifice. What the carnal mind and body wants in that moment is a pity party. I want to wallow in it. I want to hide in my cave. I want to bewail my situation.

The last thing on my mind when something horrible happens is to praise God, much less to go do good to others.

But when we adopt the posture of praise even in our darkest days and make this sacrifice of praise we will see God enthroned amidst the loud shouts of our hearts and the sounding of the trumpets.

When we adopt this posture of perpetual praise we will see God enthroned amidst the loud shouts of our hearts and the sounding of the trumpets – and your bad days will seem less and less – as your focus shifts from staring into the abyss towards looking up towards and beholding the beauty of His grace.

God is worthy of our adoration and worship no matter how we are feeling – and when we make the sacrifice of praise, even in the midst of our misery, we will see God turning graves into gardens as He revives, reawakens and restores us.

Prayer: Lord, help me praise You in the storm today. Give me the wisdom to set my eyes upon You. Let me not look to the left, nor to the right. Do not let my feelings come between us, oh Lord, for You are worth more than my feelings – You deserve my praise and my love on my good days and my worst days. You deserve all of me – whether on the mountain or in the valley. Let me rejoice in hope even when I feel hopeless. Open the eyes of my heart Lord and help me see that there is no shadow of turning with You – you are unchanging and eternal – and though my feelings might be fickle, Your promises are trusted and true. You have promised to never leave me nor forsake me. Let me dwell in the house of the Lord forever, postured to praise, no matter what my situation might be – be enthroned in my life. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.